For more than fifty years, PulpFest has celebrated mystery, adventure, science fiction, and much more. In the pulp magazines of the early twentieth century — which gave PulpFest its name — the hardboiled detective, science fiction, and sword and sorcery genres developed and flourished. They gave us Buck Rogers, Conan the Barbarian, Cthulhu, Doc Savage, Hopalong Cassidy, John Carter of Mars, Sam Spade, The Shadow, Solomon Kane, Tarzan, Zorro, and many other pop culture icons.
But PulpFest isn’t just about pulps. It’s also home to three other conventions, including FarmerCon, a convention celebrating the life and times of Philip José Farmer, the longtime pulp fan and Grand Master of Science Fiction, born over 100 years ago on January 26, 1918.
PulpFest has been hosting the annual Farmercon since 2011. By holding the convention alongside PulpFest, Farmer fans get a variety of programming and a room full of pulp and book dealers to enjoy.
Of course, the premier publisher of Farmer and related works, Meteor House, will have a prominent spot in our dealers’ room. Plus, they’ll have a pair of new Farmer books out just in time for Farmercon XX.
And don’t forget the after-hours socializing that the fans of Philip José Farmer are known to enjoy. These gatherings are always vibrant, entertaining, and informative.
One of the highlights of FarmerCon XX will be the convention’s panel saluting two of the late author’s favorite pulp characters — Doc Savage and Tarzan.
Our Farmercon panel for 2025 — “Tarzan the Time Traveler and Discourses on Doc” — is scheduled for 8:35 pm on Friday, August 8, in the PulpFest 2025 programming room.
Authors and Wold Newton experts Christopher Paul Carey and Win Scott Eckert will explore Time’s Last Gift, a novel featuring “a tall, dark-haired, gray-eyed Englishman who goes native far too easily and competently” — and “Discourses on Doc” — a look at Philip José Farmer’s writings and speculations concerning “The Man of Bronze.”
Meteor House will be offering a very special door prize to one lucky attendee at our Farmercon XX panel presentation.
Our Farmercon XX presentation will be followed at 11:05 pm by “Fraternize at Farmercon” in the Ember & Vine lounge at the DoubleTree by Hilton Hotel Pittsburgh – Cranberry. All are welcome to join the “Friends of Phil” during their gathering in our host hotel’s restaurant and lounge.
All this and more will be part of Farmercon XX, the 2025 convention for all things Farmer, taking place from August 7 – 10 at this summer’s PulpFest.
Click the 2025 Schedule button to learn more about our Farmer-centric events or take a gander at the mini-schedule below.
Friday, August 8, 2025
Dealers’ Room
9:00 am – 4:45 pm — Dealers’ Room Open to All PulpFest Members
Evening Programming
8:35 pm – 9:20 pm — FarmerCon XX — Tarzan the Time Traveler and Discourses on Doc (Christopher Paul Carey & Win Scott Eckert)
Hotel Lounge
11:05 pm – ?? am — Fraternize at Farmercon — Socialize at Ember & Vine
The general public is welcome to attend our programming events free of charge. For those who also want to enjoy our dealers’ room, you can join PulpFest by clicking the register button at the top of this page. Remember, in addition to your membership in PulpFest 2025, you’ll also be a member of Doc Con XXI, ERBFest 2025, and Farmercon XX. That’s four conventions for one price! You can’t beat that deal.
If you’re from outside the area, don’t forget to book a room. The deadline to get the convention rate at the DoubleTree was Tuesday, July 15. You may be able to find a comparable hotel room by clicking here. If you’re looking for a roommate, write to Jack Cullers at his email address above.
If you’re at a loss as to what to wear to Farmercon XX and PulpFest 2025, click the link in our top menu and order a PulpFest t-shirt or pick one up at the convention. They’re available in a variety of sizes in black or royal blue with the PulpFest logo across the chest.
Our lead image was adapted by William Lampkin from Keith Howell’s original cover art for Savageology, a collection of Philip José Farmer’s writings about Doc Savage, forthcoming from Meteor House in 2025.
Our final image was also adapted by Lampkin from Bob Eggleton’s dust jacket art for Philip José Farmer’s Time’s Last Gift, forthcoming from Meteor House in 2025. Eggleton’s jacket art also serves as our featured image.
Leslie Silberberg is a writer and popular culture enthusiast who began posting on our website in 2022. She enjoys the science fiction pulps, particularly the work of such leading female writers as Leigh Brackett, Claire Winger Harris, Zenna Henderson, Judith Merril, C. L. Moore, Margaret St. Clair, Wilmar H. Shiras, Francis Stevens, and Leslie F. Stone.
